Floods Germany, May 2013

Several states in Germany are currently suffering from floods as a result of heavy rainfall and storms over the last few days. Transport infrastructure has been badly affected, and sadly there are reports of one woman killed in the floods near Hanover, and one man missing in Bavaria.

Particularly badly hit has been the northern German state of Lower Saxony, which has seen torrential rain over several days. The Hildesheim area of the state – about 20 miles from Hannover – has suffered some of the worst of the rain and floods. The south-eastern parts of the state, near the Harz Mountains, have also seen heavy rainfall over the last two weeks.

Germany’s Meteorological Service, the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) were expecting rainfall of between 50 and 60 litres in that area within a 24 hour period. Last week the area saw around 80 litres fall in one 24 hour period.

On Thursday 30th May, a woman in the Hannover area of Lower Saxony was killed in a flooded river when she was riding her bike. Reports state she was pulled into the river after she had attempted to ride her bike along a flooded street which had beenn blocked off. Although firemen managed to pull her out of the river, she died later in hospital.

Other German states are also badly affected from the heavy rainfall and are currently on flood alert. The eastern and south eastern states of Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony have all seen torrential rainfall over the last few days. Rainfall in Germany in May has been 178% above average, according to DWD.

Bavaria has also suffered, with transport being affected there after flooded motorways had to be closed. In Bamberg local residents have suffered from floded homes, and 2 families had to leave their homes. Also in northern Bavaria, a man is missing after he was dragged away in a flooded river after trying to save his dog.